Comments on: Big Government, Bad Journalismhttp://hotair.com/greenroom/archives/2010/06/26/big-government-bad-journalism/
HotAir.com's GreenroomFri, 27 Feb 2015 11:53:55 +0000hourly1http://wordpress.org/?v=3.9.3By: GayPatriot » Belated Thoughts on the Dave Weigel Brouhaha:How could someone so eager to belong on the left offer even-handed coverage of the right?http://hotair.com/greenroom/archives/2010/06/26/big-government-bad-journalism/comment-page-1/#comment-69757
Wed, 30 Jun 2010 01:31:56 +0000http://hotair.com/greenroom/?p=20043#comment-69757[...] number of other bloggers, including importantly Dan Riehl, have looked at the larger meaning of Weigel, the Journolist and [...]
]]>By: Nightly Ramble Tuesdayhttp://hotair.com/greenroom/archives/2010/06/26/big-government-bad-journalism/comment-page-1/#comment-69738
Tue, 29 Jun 2010 20:03:15 +0000http://hotair.com/greenroom/?p=20043#comment-69738[...] THE MEDIA: I mentioned, yesterday, Dave Wiegel. Doctor Zero and I are on the same page as to why Wiegel got hired: Why would an unbiased newspaper be afraid to honestly report news that makes one side of a [...]
]]>By: Instapundit » Blog Archive » BIG GOVERNMENT, bad journalism. “Journalists can only make the thinnest pretense of objectivity whe…http://hotair.com/greenroom/archives/2010/06/26/big-government-bad-journalism/comment-page-1/#comment-69295
Sun, 27 Jun 2010 11:36:02 +0000http://hotair.com/greenroom/?p=20043#comment-69295[...] GOVERNMENT, bad journalism. “Journalists can only make the thinnest pretense of objectivity when covering the [...]
]]>By: Ed Morrisseyhttp://hotair.com/greenroom/archives/2010/06/26/big-government-bad-journalism/comment-page-1/#comment-69233
Sat, 26 Jun 2010 17:29:53 +0000http://hotair.com/greenroom/?p=20043#comment-69233This post has been promoted to HotAir.com.

Comments have been closed on this post but the discussion continues here.

]]>By: Skandia Reclusehttp://hotair.com/greenroom/archives/2010/06/26/big-government-bad-journalism/comment-page-1/#comment-69229
Sat, 26 Jun 2010 15:05:39 +0000http://hotair.com/greenroom/?p=20043#comment-69229This story, and the punditry reaction to it has left me completely baffled. Then someone writes something like

some of Weigel’s most intellectually offensive emails concerned the kind of organized narrative manipulation that appears to have been the true purpose of JournoList all along.

and the slightest glimmer of understanding begins.

In a similar circumstance, examine President Barack Obama and the befuddled punditry who seem confused by the policy decisions our president keeps making. Blunders the punditry try to explain away as simple mistakes, inexperience, naivete, or lack of understanding. It is just *inconceivable* that Obama would make those decisions deliberately, with full understanding of the consequences, with deliberate malice, and desiring the obvious results. No one wants to believe that Obama really *intends* his policies to produce those results. No one wants to believe that and everyone struggles to find an alternate explanation.

Thus the anguish over Journolist. No one wants to believe the evidence. There just has to be another explanation.

Doc said: “It’s striking how much venom Dave Weigel directed at people who never insulted him personally.”

“Striking”? Could we also say “sticking out like a sore thumb”?

The Saga of Dave Weigel

Are we to create a new term for our dear liberal friends who slither around in sheep’s clothing? As more eye-popping self-proclaimed moderates are exposed as flaming liberals, can we now label them “Weigel-Miesters”?

When the true colors of an “objective journalist” reach the sunlight, (as in the case of Eason Jordan), can we expect the liberal media to purge their ideological brethren because they “accidentally honestly” exposed themselves?

The reason I bring up Mr. Jordan as an example is because I believe Jordan, in his infinite wisdom, got caught up in a similar trap of his own making. The idea of the Bush administration was to embed “journalist” in Iraq so they could communicate accurate accounts of the war to their readers back home. Eason Jordan, already a top foreign correspondent, (and as it turned out, a party to an agreement with Saddam Hussein‘s regime) had been embedded in Baghdad, Tikrit, and Mosul long before the operation Iraqi Freedom. In order to maintain his status, (and CNN’s) within their Baghdad Bureau, Jordan entered the uncharted territory of becoming a colossal part of the story, and in the process became admittedly complicit in covering up Iraqi atrocities. The end result was Jordan’s resignation.

And, while it may be unfair to compare these two “journalist” in a similar light, I would submit that both were completely dishonest with their constituents/readerships who were blatantly deceived by what was supposed to be objective journalism. In Mr. Weigel’s case, he has admittedly, (or unwittingly), confessed to being complicit in the liberal, and yes, biased ideology. Had Mr. Weigel exposed himself in any format other than the one he “embedded” himself into, there would have been no platform allowable by the Washington Post to hide his apparent bias.

]]>By: Robert17http://hotair.com/greenroom/archives/2010/06/26/big-government-bad-journalism/comment-page-1/#comment-69217
Sat, 26 Jun 2010 11:43:36 +0000http://hotair.com/greenroom/?p=20043#comment-69217Well said. I think there is also a touch of sophomoric psychology involved as well. Cozying up to power, particularly with the kids that “let it all hang out”, making the “in” crowd is hard to resist. These kids see conservative moms and dads as out of touch. They want to re-invent the world and rebel, as if that’s never been done before. Liberal to the last drop, they feel cared for, loved, when in the groovy group’s presence. Especially when invited to the cool parties. Wow, popularity is so empowering.

Who would want to damage their chances of hanging with the cool kids by writing anything annoying about these idols? And yes, it’s worse than that. They’ll tear the hearts out of the uncool kids, mocking them, taunting them, in order to be, in their minds, admired and respected by the cool kids. So some of this is a carry-over of the irresponsible and childish behavior patterns of adolescence. Seldom do you find someone who majors in journalism that spent much time in an economics classroom, to say nothing of science, math, or more conservative disciplines, those with rules.

]]>By: SDNhttp://hotair.com/greenroom/archives/2010/06/26/big-government-bad-journalism/comment-page-1/#comment-69215
Sat, 26 Jun 2010 09:44:56 +0000http://hotair.com/greenroom/?p=20043#comment-69215Doc, I just have two questions, which I expect you will answer honestly, unlike the proprietors of this blog:

1. Can you see any practical difference between where we are now and where this country was in 1859, confronted by a fundamental decision about allowing slavery, only to the government instead of plantation owners?

2. “You either resist the onslaught of the State with all your might, or bear passive witness to its expansion.” Is there any likelihood that we will defy historical precedent and roll back tyranny without the actual use of violent resistance?